891 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

--- "It's been a while." He offered a light greeting. Jegal Hyeok, who was eating, looked up at me. "It has been a while...." "Are you in the middle of eating?" "Yes. Would you like some?" "No, I'm not really hungry." I didn't come here to eat in the first place. "What about the elder?" "Grandfather's stepped out for a bit." "Just as well." I sat across the table. Jegal Hyeok was currently staying in Shin Ui's quarters. I considered arranging a separate place for him, but it was his own decision to stay, considering Shin Ui. This made things slightly more complicated for conversations, but it was manageable. "But, hyung." "Hmm?" "How did someone who's supposed to be in Sichuan end up here...?" It's the third time I've been asked that today. "Something came up, so I rushed over." "Oh, that." Jegal Hyeok nodded as if he was already aware. "You've already confirmed it?" "I've been keeping an eye on the situation, but it didn't seem like the right time to send a message yet, so I've been waiting." "Waiting, huh...." It seemed even Jegal Hyeok found the situation unusual. After listening to my muttering, Jegal Hyeok put his chopsticks down with a clack and asked, "So, whose message did you come for?" He was sharp, as expected. "It looked like it was Mrs. Mi's, but it wasn't her after all." "Does that mean someone else is involved?" "Correct. But I don't know who." "When did you receive it?" "The day before yesterday. Mrs. Mi also sent a message, but she said it wouldn’t arrive until today at the earliest." "Is that so?" Jegal Hyeok rolled his eyes for a moment, then spoke after a few seconds. "It seems like someone who knew that Mr. Gu would be caught set something in motion." His answer came swiftly. "The most likely suspects within our expectations are the Martial Alliance itself, but if not.... there are two or three other possibilities." "Is that certain?" "No, I think I need to deliberate further before I can be sure. Are you staying until tomorrow?" "I’ll be back from the Martial Alliance by evening, and we can meet then." "Alright, I'll think about it and let you know then." "Thanks." A conclusion was reached in that short conversation. No matter how I look at it, it’s fascinating. I would've needed much longer to come up with such an answer. 'It's not a guarantee that it's the right answer, though.' Just one day. That should be enough to get the rough answer. That should suffice. Of course, not all of Jegal Hyeok's words are always correct. 'I trust about seventy percent of what he says.' In a past life, I might've considered it ninety percent, but even now, seventy percent feels right. 'For now, I'll act based on what he said.' Using Jegal Hyeok's words as the starting point, I set the direction. With that decided, I drank the water in front of me. After moistening my lips, I moved on to the next topic. There was something I needed to verify first. "So, was this letter really sent by you?" Considering the earlier incident, I had to ask. Jegal Hyeok handed me the letter he had prepared. "Yes, I sent it." That was a relief. If even that wasn’t true, it would've been a real problem. If so, I wouldn't even know where to begin addressing the situation. Moreover, this letter was the main reason I sought out Jegal Hyeok today. "What happened exactly?" The content of the letter. It disclosed that the location of Dang Deok had been discovered and that the Heavenly Dragon Division was mobilizing to apprehend him. "Why did things suddenly take this turn?" "This part is difficult to elaborate on due to insufficient information, but based on trends, it seems that way." "Trends?" "Yes. Haven’t you heard anything from Mr. Tang?" "No." I don't often have conversations with Dang Deok. I just convey orders when necessary. "I heard there have been a lot of suspicious people showing up around." "Martial Alliance people?" "That's what it seems like." "But you're not completely sure." "No." I rubbed my chin in thought. Considering where Dang Deok currently was.... 'Hubei.' It wasn't so much for hiding as it was sending him there due to some tasks. But now, a strange number of people are gathering there? 'This is becoming bothersome.' The plan to involve Gae Cheonmunju and the Heavenly Demon Sect wasn’t even completed yet. Any complications arising here would be troublesome. Just then. "What do you think?" Jegal Hyeok asked me. "About what?" "From my perspective, it seems related to you going to Sichuan.... What do you think, hyung?" I nodded at his question. There was a hint of anxiety in Jegal Hyeok's eyes. Looking at it, I thought inwardly. 'It's certainly different from before.' Jegal Hyeok used to ask for confirmation from me occasionally. Did he expect me to know the answer? I came to him because I didn't know either and thought he might be smarter. When he asked like that, it felt a bit peculiar. In a previous life, Jegal Hyeok wouldn’t have felt such anxiety. His thinking was like this: his deductions were correct, his conclusions were right, and anyone stating otherwise was mistaken. That was Tian Yulanga’s mindset, and annoyingly, he was mostly right. The only ones who could challenge his words were perhaps the Heavenly Demon. 'The top lords might've listened to him back then...’ Maybe not, since Gum Gui and Nok Wang didn't treat him as human, so perhaps not. In any case. 'It's fine.' Looking at Jegal Hyeok now compared to the past brought many thoughts. I didn't find this demeanor unreliable. 'Rather, it felt like a definite sense that he's a different person from back then.' Recognizing Jegal Hyeok now as distinctly different from the past Tian Yulanga. That realization was, in a way, a relief. "Why do you keep asking me? If you aren't sure, do you think I would know?" "Hyung might know." "I always tell you that you're smarter than I am, right?" Jegal Hyeok scratched his cheek at my comment. "...That's not true." "Of course it is. Otherwise, why would I be asking you?" "Because you need someone to talk to?" "Ridiculous." Unbelievable. He genuinely seemed to think I was the clever one. How amusing. 'Right, as if.' --- A man who killed numerous peak martial artists with nothing but an ordinary human body. The story of how he resolved the situation using only his wits, right in the midst of a battlefield, was well-known throughout Jianghu. 'Could I have done it?' Briefly imagining the scenario, the conclusion was evident: not a chance. If I could, I would've been a strategist, not swinging my fists around. "Stop saying pointless things. It seems like you're on the right track, don't worry about it." "...Alright." The fact that I headed for the Sichuan branch and that someone was tailing Dang Deok. Moreover, Shin Ryong's impending move to counter these developments. To call this mere coincidence seemed too large a stretch due to all the interconnected elements. 'Which means.' Could Muk Yeon have anticipated this and sent me to Sichuan? 'That's debatable.' The events executed by Gae Cheonmunju started five years ago. Though it's meaningful that they've surfaced now, coordinating the timing seems unusual. 'If that’s possible.' Muk Yeon would've had to be involved with Gae Cheonmunju five years ago, or have been orchestrating this from before I joined the Star Dragon Division. However, 'It was me who initiated Muk Yeon's return.' Muk Yeon’s expedited return to the Martial Alliance was due to the incident in Hanam, which was indirectly influenced by my actions. 'So unless Muk Yeon is a seer, it’s impossible.' I dismissed the suspicion that Muk Yeon had been part of all the plans from the start. The issue was. 'Though it might not have been from the beginning.' There's a possibility he intervened more recently. For instance... 'When he learned of Gae Cheonmunju’s activities.' If he planned to entangle and send me to Sichuan with that information, the story changes. The timing was just right. There was enough justification. 'Muk Yeon already suspected me.' Even if it didn't seem so, I was likely high on Muk Yeon's list of suspects. If he sent me to Sichuan and immediately gathered forces after pinpointing Dang Deok’s location? 'It's not out of the question.' Such suspicions were warranted. 'But...' If that hypothesis was true, then there was another issue to address. 'My father's situation.' When I went to Sichuan, of all times, that incident erupted. Should I chalk this up to coincidence? Hardly. 'If it were a coincidence, they wouldn't have fooled around with the letters.' Identifying that Mrs. Mi’s letter was a fake, I pondered its implications. '...Either leveraging my father’s ordeal to drag me in.' Or possibly, the entire situation involving my father was a ruse constructed to tie me into it. I narrowed my eyes. 'I hope not.' Even as I hoped otherwise, suspicions naturally arose. 'Perhaps.' Perhaps everything. 'Might be interconnected.' Being sent to Sichuan, the matters with Gae Cheonmunju. The movements of the Shin Ryong Division and my father's issue in the process. Could it all be inextricably linked? A chill ran through me at the thought. If that were true? Then what’s at the end of these strings? For what purpose has it come to this? Tap. Tap-tap. I drummed my fingers on the table, contemplating. 'Is it me?' If there’s an end to this thread, it feels like it would be me. Sending me to Sichuan, starting events as a decoy, then urging me back with the letter. 'To bring me back?' Perhaps to hasten my return to Hanam. 'It's all conjecture, trying to piece everything together.' It's just a baseless theory, but it might be the intention behind trying to connect it all. '...Dammit.' But for some reason, I felt like this wasn’t entirely wrong. "Hyung?" "Hoooo." I let out a low sigh. Then I looked at Jegal Hyeok. "...You said you'd know by tomorrow?" "Yes. I'll try not to pass noon." I chuckled at his words. Try no matter what. Those words were spoken after seeing my expression. It's likely my face seemed intensely troubled. "You don’t need to go that far. If you can't figure it out, just take it easy." "But...." "In any case, I need to head somewhere, I'll be leaving first. I'll see you tomorrow, and please give my regards to the elder." I stood up. Having finished asking Jegal Hyeok everything and making my request, there was no time to waste. "Where are you going?" Not responding immediately to his sudden question, I avoided eye contact and answered. "Somewhere." There was someone to meet. To be precise, someone my mind was constantly drawn to see. ***************** There was still a bit of time before sunset. As dusk slowly approached, changing the colors of the sky, I arrived in a forest. "..." I landed softly, surveying the area. The trees were draped in vibrant autumn colors, announcing the season's change. Soon the leaves would all fall as the season reached its end, but for now, they were beautifully adorned. With that in mind, I began to walk. All the while I examined my surroundings, attempting to remember something. '...As expected.' Everything felt familiar. This scene. This landscape. Even the scent wafting into my nostrils. Though I had only been here a few times, it was as if I'd spent ages in this place. 'It's strange.' The last time I visited, it didn’t feel like this. Why does it feel this way now? I couldn't fathom it. Swoooosh-! The wind blew, scattering the autumn leaves. A serene atmosphere prevailed. Continuing forward a little more, I suddenly halted at a spot. There seemed to be nothing there. Just a field. The sun setting in the sky, and grass waving gently in the breeze. That was the entirety of the scenery. Yet for some reason, that empty spot tugged at me. 'I can’t see anything there.' So why do I feel like there should be something there? Just as I was about to shake off the thought with a furrowed brow, "You came?" "..." A voice came from ahead. I opened my eyes and looked straight ahead. In a space emanating an uncanny feeling stood a solitary rock. On it, someone sat. "Hello...." A black-haired woman, weakly waving her hand. Seeing her, my expression hardened. There was something I had wanted to ask her if I saw her again. I was sure of it. "Autumn... you said it was beautiful, didn't you?" The woman's prattling made me fall silent for a moment. Strangely, I couldn't bring myself to respond. What was she talking about? After a moment of pondering, it hit me. She had spoken those words the last time we met. To come before autumn passed. That it would definitely be beautiful. "…" Back then, I had asked her why I should even come here. Before I realized it, here I was, with autumn not yet over. I placed a hand over my chest. It's infuriating. The emotions simmered within me. This wasn't right. At least, these emotions weren’t ones I should be feeling towards 'that.' "You, you know." Just as I was about to let out my frustration. "I missed you." "..." The Heavenly Demon said with a smile. "Truly." That single phrase sealed my lips once more. Damn it, it really did.